Free Temptation by R.L. Stine

—stop,” she said, holding on to his arm. “I’m really scared.” Warily, she turned her eyes up to the dark sky, as if searching for bats. She smiled as Todd put his arm around her trembling shoulders.
    Gabri did this, Jessica thought bitterly as she pretended to be frightened.
    Gabri was the bat. Gabri bit the girl.
    I know it was Gabri.
    He saw that I was having success with Todd. He saw that I was about to taste the nectar for the second time. And so he created a diversion. He knew I couldn’t succeed with a girl screaming her head off a few yards down the beach.
    What a dirty trick.
    It’s obvious that Gabri will do anything to stop me.
    Well, you can’t stop me, Jessica thought angrily, her anger serving to renew her determination.
    You can’t stop me, Gabri. You’re too late.
    Two more sips of the nectar and poor unsuspecting Todd is mine.
    She gazed timidly at Todd. Look at him, she thought, forcingherself not to laugh out loud. Poor baby. He’s madly in love with me. He thinks this is the luckiest summer of his life.
    I wonder if he’ll still feel so lucky when he finds out what he’s become. I wonder if he’ll still feel lucky when he knows he’s an Eternal One, unable to die, unable to live.
    So thirsty. Always so thirsty.
    She sighed and pressed her face against his arm. Her mouth suddenly felt so dry. She could taste the nectar, ruby dark, thick and warm.
    â€œCome on, Todd,” she whispered. “Take me away from here. I’m just so . . . scared.”
    He nodded, holding her close, and she led him away into the darkness.

CHAPTER 11 FIRST DATE
    A couple of nights later April made her way through the crowds on Main Street to meet Matt. The shops and restaurants she passed were brightly lit and jammed with people. She stepped onto the street to get around a large group of window-shoppers. She moved through the sea of glowing, sunburned faces, smiling people in colorful shirts and white shorts or skirts.
    From halfway down the block, April could see that Matt wasn’t on the corner in front of Swanny’s where they had arranged to meet. I hope he isn’t late again, she thought, glancing at her watch as she crossed the street.
    A motorcycle roared past right behind her, and she jumped to the curb. “Hey—” She turned in time to see the backs of two boys with long blond hair, speeding in the direction of the carnival grounds.
    I wonder if the carnival has opened, April thought, searching the crowded walk for Matt. April loved carnivals. She loved therides and the dumb games, and the smell of popcorn and cotton candy. Maybe Matt would like to check it out, she thought.
    She had promised her sisters she’d take them as soon as it opened. That meant an entire night of arguing over which ride to go on next and who got to sit in front and who had to sit in the back.
    â€œMatt—where are you?” she said aloud.
    She poked her head into the arcade—and saw him near the back. He and Ben were leaning over a game, staring intently at the screen as another boy frantically spun a steering wheel.
    â€œHey, Matt! Matt!” She couldn’t make herself heard over the explosions, gunfire, loud whistles, sirens, and crashes that echoed through the long, narrow room.
    When he finally turned toward the doorway, he seemed surprised to see her.
    Didn’t he even remember that we were supposed to meet? April wondered.
    He pushed himself away from the game and hurried toward her, a guilty expression on his face. “Oh. Hi.” He followed her out onto the walk. “You just get here?”
    â€œYeah.” She nodded.
    â€œYou look great. Is that a new T-shirt?”
    April was wearing a pale blue T-shirt with a V neck that she had worn about ten thousand times. “No, Matt. What’s going on?”
    â€œUh . . . I ran into Ben. We’ve been playing some games with a few other guys. You